Newbie question

I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea after suffering a TBI while I was deployed for the Air Force and would like to know the likely hood of me ever getting off my APAP machine. I am not overweight (BMI= 23), don't smoke, very light drinker, in good shape (increasing my exercise). I don't look forward to using the machine for the next 40 years (but using the machine is better than the alternative).

Thanks,

Macey

Take it one night at a time. If you anticipate 40 more years, there may be time for science to catch up. But meanwhile, just focus on tonight.

I felt much the same. But I found that once I experienced the health improvements and the mental and emotional improvements that came from improved sleep, my view of the matter changed.

Most medical "solutions" these days have negative side effects that impair life to some extent during waking hours. Glasses/surgeries/medications/etc. -- all of them can be awkwardly troublesome at times and can have real dangers and can put limits on daytime enjoyment.

On the other hand, PAP therapy with its filtered, humidified air, and being something that only needs to be used during a time when you are unconscious anyway, makes everything BETTER during the time you are conscious! If only all medical approaches were as painless, safe, and purely positive as PAP!!

It seemed overwhelming to me at first to think of using a machine. But once I got the hang of it (with the help of people using this forum), I have felt grateful and blessed to have such a simple solution to something as complicated as sleep-breathing issues.

Shaving is a hassle. Brushing teeth is a hassle. Bathing is a hassle. Working out can be a hassle. Doing chores around the apartment is a hassle. Maintaining a vehicle is a hassle. Taxes are a hassle. Life is full of hassles. On the grand scale of things, PAP therapy involves very, very little hassle but comes with some truly life-altering benefits.

I look forward to decades of effective sleep with my precious little miracle-machine. With very little time investment and attention, the dividends PAP therapy pays are well worth every second I have put into it. At first I was depressed that my life was going to change forever with the added hassle of CPAP. Then I became excited that finally my life was going to change forever with the miracle of CPAP. Now it is just a regular everyday part of life that I remain grateful for but that takes very little of my attention.

May your life change forever as well, all for the good. If your journey with CPAP is half as rewarding as mine, you are in for some fantastic joys.

Yes, in your case, it may be that the TBI is the most direct cause of your need. But breathing every night with humidified, filtered, pressurized air can be conducive to some of the best sleep you have ever had, improving things you never even realized were an issue. So it may be that your view of it may change from seeing it as possible added weight with your life-gear to seeing it as your new personal life-preserving secret weapon for safer, clearer, smoother skies ahead.

Just sayin'.

-jeff